


Silver Speck

by suikaneko



Category: Free!
Genre: Bullying, First Meetings, Friendship/Love, M/M, Points of View, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-16
Updated: 2013-10-16
Packaged: 2017-12-29 13:53:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1006214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suikaneko/pseuds/suikaneko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story chronicling Nitori and Rin's meeting and the development of  their relationship.<br/>( 10/21/13 Working on the next chapter! It should be up this week ^_^ )</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this fic for awhile now and I'm so excited to finally post what I have so far! Enjoy!

I did all of my homework. I check off a box in my head to reassure myself.

I place my separate folders for each class into my book bag in order: Algebra first, English second, slipping them in as not to stub the crisp edges.

Always checking myself, always keeping to a schedule, it was a safety net for me. Come home from school, review that day’s material, eat dinner with my family, and study until I get tired. That was how I knew I did my homework. I always did.  

Recently though, I added a new step in my schedule,  

“Swimming…”

 The word on my mind slipped out in a mumble as my thoughts sunk into a state of early morning contemplation.  

_Why did you join the swim team?_

My mind finds extravagant answers such as, “So I can swim in the Olympics” or “I’ve always been good at swimming”, but the truth is I had never swum before this year.

I recall that I’m getting ready for school and pull on my standard white and black school polo. I let my skin adjust to the starchy cotton. The stiff folds soften as I survey myself in the mirror.

As I do, my mind falls into another trap of questioning.

Starting at the droplet of black under my eye, I critique all the way from my overly feminine face down to my small build. I meet my own eyes and am struck with another imperfection, the craggy grey hair that falls on my forehead.

 I tug at the unsymmetrical bangs in small pinches with a sour expression pulling at my lips.

“You look adorable!” I was taken back to the bubbly hairstylist assuring me that his was the latest and most fashionable style. In the end, I looked nothing like the glossy magazine page model she had showed me.

“Aii-chan! Breakfast!”

The warm smells of tea and fish, combined with the popping of the skillet, shift my focus from my introspection to my stomach which begs for attention.

“Yes mom!”

I grab my book bag and my sports bag and I realize I never answered my own question.

_Why did you join the swim team?_

I give myself one last glance as I walk past the mirror.

 _Feminine and weak_ , I begin to frown… _I want to be manly_ … I pull back my shoulders attempt to scowl. The furrowed eye brows and a grimace seem out of place on my face, and I’m bubbling with laughter before I can attempt to contain myself.  

_Today is going to be a good day_. I wear a smile although I’m straining to carry my heavy swimming bag.  

***

I didn’t do my homework. School work seems pointless to me anyways. At least it would be pointless if getting bad grades wasn’t something that could lead to me getting kicked off the swim team. Tch.

Staring out the window, I watch as a morning gym class is running outside.

Someone gives me a slap on the back, “Yo, Mastuoka, that homework was killer, right?”

It’s someone from the swim team whose name I didn’t bother to learn. A gold necklace gleams under his collar. “Hah. Yeah I didn’t do that. I was working out.”

I’m expecting to get scolded, but he surprisingly gives me a chuckle in response. “Ah man you’re dedicated. The homework was stupid anyways. I doubt the teacher will ask too many questions.”

“Ah.” I give him a nod, without much else to say. Thankfully, class starts and it saves me from the burden of conversation and I’m staring at the runners again. My eyes fall upon a silvery speck, bobbing in the sunlight. My eyebrows float up from my half lidded eyes.

 It takes a about a half lap for a name to come to mind. Nitori Aiichiro.

The only reason I knew his name was because he made a point of introducing himself practically every time he saw me. Jeez kid, I get it already.

He’s a first year on the swim team. My eyes follow him around the small school track as he falls behind most of the other students. Tch, if he can’t even keep up in running, let alone in swimming, then I’m not even sure why he’s on the team at all. He should probably quit and find something else he’s better at.

I contemplate telling him later. Why did I care though? If he wants to waste his time swimming than he can. He’s not slowing me down. 

“Matsuoka, can you give us your answer to number 6?” The teacher is suddenly addressing me. I glare at that guy from earlier and he’s clapping his hands together in a silent apology.

“Ah, yeah…about that… I didn’t do it. Sorry.” I half-heartedly apologize. I think that the teacher will probably just let it go, but today he decides to make a big deal of it in class.

“Mr. Matsuoka, if you don’t see an importance in school work, then I ask you to realize that your grades _do_ have an impact on whether or not you are on the swim team. And, as an extra nudge in the right direction, as this is not the first time this has happened, I will be informing your advisor that if this happens again, you shouldn’t expect to continue swimming here.”

I can’t help but clench my teeth at the overly cocky remarks. Who does he think he is? Like hell I’ll stop swimming. Somehow, out of my building rage, I manage to reply, “Yes. Sir.” The prolonged pauses between my words filled with an unspoken “Fuck. You.”

He breaks away from my eye contact, but not before giving me one last glare to make sure I understood. Like that will do anything. My eyes are back out the window on the silver speck. If anyone shouldn’t be swimming it’s that guy. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just Nitori this time!

My exhaustion from the day hangs on me like another backpack to carry as I stumble my way down the stairs. Having gym class in the morning isn’t particularly fun, and on top of that, leaves me tired for the majority of the day. I lightly slap my cheeks.  _It’s good conditioning for swimming though!_

The smell of chlorine fills my nose. The smell that all the swimmers claim gets them pumped up. The unfamiliar burning, however, only makes my eyes watery as I try to adjust.

The locker room is bustling with friends chatting about their days, guys with one leg of their swimsuits on, a few people heading towards the pool. I eagerly set down my bags on a bench. My tired legs are tempted by the seat, but practice is starting soon.

As my shirt brushes over my nose and up past my head, I realize that someone else has just walked in even later than me.

“Oi! Move your ass, Matsuoka. You can’t be late every day.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He throws his stuff next to mine and strips beside me.

Matsuoka-sempai.  

It was during the first week of school.

“I’m joining the swim team.”

 I overheard a conversation as I was packing up from one of the last swim tryouts.  I had already been guaranteed a spot on the team because I was a freshman, but I still wanted to attend all of the try outs so I could get better.

A deeper voice sounded speculative, “Yeah, sorry, you’ve missed too many tryouts already. Getting a spot on the team is competitive for upper classman. ”

The two voices came into view. One was the captain Seijuro, and the other was someone I had never seen before.

“Just let me show you what I can do,” his dark, apple red hair flurried as he spoke with conviction.

Seijuro looked him over, “Alright, if you can beat the top time from our school for whatever stroke you want, then you’re on the team.”

I instantly felt remorse for him. _Beat the top time?_ Impossible! All of Samezuka’s records were amazing.

“Alright, I’ll show you something you’ve never seen before,” his unusually sharp teeth gritted into a confident smile as he pushed past the captain to enter the pool.

Once they were both inside, I cautiously shuffled up to the door window to watch. There was no way he could beat the school records, but… something in that grin told me otherwise.

Now, I don’t remember his exact time, but wow, he was _fast_. I stood on the tip of my toes to get a better view, not thinking about being seen at this point. What I saw before me was the embodiment of a shark swimming. The way his arms cut through the water so ferociously… it sent a shiver through my body.

There I stood, in awe, while the captain and the amazing swimmer exchanged friendly slaps on the back and it didn’t register that the two were walking towards me until I was on the floor when the door swung back.

I rubbed my head, my thoughts still overflowing with images from the shark-like swimmer.

“Uh…Nitori right?” Seijuro extended a wet palm to me. I looked up at the two giant red topped trees and grabbed hold of a limb.

“Ah! Good evening Seijuro-senpai!” I gave him a nervous bow, “I was just getting ready to go home, today’s try out went exceptionally motivating as usual.”

“Ah…hahah, well…before you go, meet our newest team member,” he gestured to…

“Rin Matsuoka,” he smiled genuinely, “It’s kind of a girly name, I know.”

“Ah! Nice to meet you Matsuoka-senpai! I’m Aiichiro Nitori. I’m a first year.” I think I might have been staring. Staring at a smile that was beaming with confidence. Brimming and practically shouting at you, “I’m amazing!” I couldn’t help but stare. 

The snapping of swimsuits and shuffling feet make me realize that we’re the only two people left in the locker room.

“Matsuoka-senpai, we should get going, everyone else has already left.”

He walks off in a huff and I follow closely behind. I want to see him swim again like that night. I want to see him smile like he did that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist comparing Rin to a shark haha. It can't be helped.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are our boys up to after school? Thinking about each other of course haha. Sunsets are one of my weaknesses. Also a familiar dolphin boy is brought up.

Huff, step step, huff, step step .  It feels like it’s been a long day. Getting called out by the teacher, swim practice. The sun is setting in an uncomfortable burnt orange. 

Huff, step step, huff, step step.  My usually pace for running. The Olympics. I always envisioned in front of me. Holding a gold medal and my dad cheering me on. 

My eye brows are weighted down today though, my gold medal blocked by an irritating shimmer of silver.  

We paired off into twos at practice, and by that point I already knew I wasn’t going to get anything out of today. I started to leave, but Seijuro caught me by the collar of my shirt. He belted my name in his militaristic deep voice and then promptly gestured towards a feminine boy behind him who I immediately recognized. “This is-“

“Aiichiro Nitori. Yeah. We’ve met. 1st year. Yadda yadda. What?” I grimaced.

Seijuro tested me with a glare, “We’re pairing up today and since I know you’re already beyond the level of our other new members, you’re going to help out Nitori.”

“Tch, you’ve got to be kidding me.” I swiveled my head in time with my rolling eyes.

On a dime Nitori bounced forward, and he squeaked out, “I promise I learn fast! I won’t hold you back Matsuoka-senpai!” He followed it with a bow. I still wasn’t convinced, but before I could get in another argument Seijuro brought in the final blow.

“Hey, heard you haven’t been doing your homework. If you want any help on your next slip up you’ll follow today’s activities. Otherwise, get off the team.” He turned away knowing that he had made his point. My eyes followed him for as long as I could until he was out of site. I knew now I would have to put my attention elsewhere.

I shifted my gaze downward. “Hey.”

My one word acknowledgement of his existence had triggered an avalanche of words, “Hi! I’m Aiichiro Nitori! But I guess you already know that…” he stared off looking troubled, but his enthusiasm, unfortunately, returned tenfold, “I’m really looking forward to your instruction today! You’re an amazing swimmer and I know you can teach me a lot of different techniques, so I’ll try my best to remember everything, so don’t hold ba-”

“Got it. So what’s your best stroke?”

***

The blurry outline of a mechanical pencil rests under my nose. My chest fills with a sigh as I stare out my bedroom window at a warm peach-pie baked sky. Today’s homework is spread neatly and unfinished in front of me with a tint of the outside color.

I run over today’s swimming practice in my head.

“So what’s your best stroke?” He looked like he was impatient for an answer, so I had blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.

“Ah...Well!” My voice creaked childishly and he quirked an eyebrow at me. I adjusted my tone and lowered my enthusiasm, not wanting my voice to crack again. “Ah well…I usually swim freestyle.”

Matsuoka-sempai had a way of flipping through different emotions and he suddenly had a look like he remembered something.

This time I had difficultly following him though. After his bored eyes quickly widened, his face drew into an expression of contemplation, suddenly followed by frustration, until he arrived at a confident smirk.

“Freestyle…eh?”  As he laughed under his breath, I was unsure of how to answer, but he filled the gap in conversation, “Alright. Let’s focus on that then. Go ahead, show me.”

A sudden wave of nervousness swept over me- _go ahead, show  me._

As I adjusted my goggles,I cautiously moved to the side of the pool.  Crouching into my diving position, I ran through all of the pointers I had received. Before leaning forward and I glanced over my shoulder to see his eyes fixed on me and I gulped. This was my moment to show everything I had learned so far. _Show me._

I leaned forward and felt my body free falling for what felt like forever, until my arms effortlessly glided into the water. This was a first for me, not feeling the water smack against my skin. My arms were now pulling me forward, one after the other, and it felt so effortless, but I was pushing myself harder.

  _Show me_.

I wanted to show him something he would praise me for. A sight he’d never seen before.

As I did my kick flip, I was racing back…racing back to get his approval, his critique. Anything. I just wanted him to acknowledge me.

I was then gasping for breath, my muscles aching from pushing myself so hard. I pulled my goggles down to look up and see him crouching at the side of the pool and staring. His face had molded back to frustration and recollection.  

“You swim like him.” His words were lacy and translucent, covered by the splashes of other swimmers.

The pencil clatters, falling from my lip. I blink a few times and pull my fist away from the red mark forming on my cheek.  

_Him,_ he had said with such a pained look on his face. While I wanted to know who he was...I was feeling selfish. _I don’t care who he is, I just want you to acknowledge me_. I slipped my pencil behind my ear and began to punch at my calculator, my cheek landing back on my fist. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Show me ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few shorter sections in this chapter.

I was asked to visit my homeroom teacher after class today. I missed another homework assignment and somewhere along the way, walking to swim practice, that guy from my class had sea urchined himself on to me. Unii Tanaka,apparently, and he was now talking my ear off.

I just wanted to get to practice and get it over with.

How many practices had it been so far this year? They had all started blurring together at some point. Everything had become a blur lately. Swimming, jogging, sleeping, eating, I was just living to get closer to my goal. There were two things that I couldn’t seem to get out of my mind though,

 1) My race with Haru  (the reason I was now on the swim team)

 2) And the day that Nitori swam like Haru

And…and… I really _really_ wish this guy would shut up because I’m trying to get my thoughts together and his cliché ass gold necklace really pisses me the fuck off.

When I’m at the boiling point of my irritation, I realize he’s waving to me and the buzzing in my ear stops.I realize we’re both at the locker room and I’m late again. Not that it matters, other than the fact that Seijuro will probably be yelling my ear off again.

Behind my open lockers I can see a pair of smaller sneakers that appear beside me and I already know who’s they are. I brace myself for the greeting I’m about to receive, “Good Evening Matsuoka-senpai,” his voice is normally on the brink of being shrill, but the greeting surprisingly doesn’t come.

This gives me a second to think, but the silence I was begging so desperately for earlier now feels empty.

“Oi.” There’s a pause.

“Oh…good evening Matsuoka-senpai.” There it is, but with less enthusiasm than normal.

My shirt gets balled up and tossed into the bottom of my bag. “So…why’re you late? You don’t seem like the type.” He’s been late a few times before though, which is why I’m curious.

“Ah! Well, I have to carry all of my swimming gear and school books all the way from the freshman classrooms, which are pretty far away, and I’m a bit worn out from gym class...haha…”

I recall the speck that is my entertainment in homeroom. The speck that’s moved up in front of a few other joggers since I first noticed him. “You’ve gotten better at running,” I say before I can stop myself.

“What?” He sounds like he was never tired from gym class in the first place, the way his voice is floating.

“Nothing. C’mon.” I slam my locker.

His footsteps follow behind me echoing the beating of the runners and I can feel his blue eyes staring at me and waiting for me to say something more. I can’t bring myself to look back, though. Not even to tell him to stop staring because otherwise I’ll get trapped in those blue eyes. Those ocean blue eyes that will open the floodgates of my thoughts and drown me in memories of Haru.

I push my way into the pool and jump in the water as fast as I possibly can.

***

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard the captain saying you didn’t do your homework,” I treaded in the water, “And…well…if you need any help, maybe I could help you study!”

“Tch. Mind your own business.”  His glare pierced me from the corner of his eye.

I sigh as I look down at my unfinished English homework, “I wonder if Matsuoka-sempai…” I begin to speak out loud then correct myself, “Mind your own business Ai!” I hunch over and try reading a few lines from the book we’re reading. Mom calls me for dinner before my eyes even begin to settle onto the words though.

***

“That first year is a real pain in the ass,” Tanaka remarks after practice.

I’m really not in the mood. I huff out a response loaded with anger, “Yeah, I wish he’d just stay the fuck out of my business. He’s fucking annoying.”

Tanaka snickers, “Yeah, he should just quit the swim team.”

I really want to punch him when he says that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unii Tanaka is a pretty dumb name and I apologize. Uni means seaurchin so I thought it was fitting. Names...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nitori is finally starting to build up some confidence! A shorter chapter leading up to all the stuff that is about to go down.

A bead of water drips from my bangs and slides over the contours of my lips. The smell is faint, but it’s the smell of chlorine. My nose tingles and I take a deep breath of the smell that I’ve come to love. Another drip slides over my cheek. I pinch my bangs between my fingers and smile to myself. I’ve actually started to like this haircut too.

As I’m heading towards the school gate I see someone with a swim team jacket whose hair almost matched the red of our school colors.

“Matsuoka-senpai!” I wave, jogging over to him. My legs carry me exceptionally fast and I realize yet another thing I’ve grown to like about myself. Water sprinkles off my hair as I’m waving.

“I didn’t see you at practice today!”  He’s starts walking and I follow beside him. “It’s me! Aiichiro Nitori! Practice was pretty tough today, you’re luck you weren’t there. Well, it probably wouldn’t have been hard for you…” I pull at the strap of my bag. “I was having trouble today though since you weren’t there. It was actually with butterfly stroke, your best stroke!” I knew I was talking a bit too much, but...I felt so good right now and I wanted to be able to share the feeling with someone else.

“So Matsuoka-senpai…do you think you could give me some advice?” I had already gotten plenty of coaching on butterfly stroke, but advice from him would be ultimately more valuable.

“Advice?” His voice has an edge to it, but I’ve grown used to it.

“If you wouldn’t mind I-”

“Advice. You want my fucking advice?” I stumble back against the brick fence of the school sensing the threat in his voice. His eyes shimmer with a bright red, “Fucking leave me alone.” He kicks the wall beside me and I swear that it shakes.

I begin to slide down the wall as he walks away, sitting there and staring at the sunset that has the same intensity of his eyes.

I bury my head in my knees so I don’t have to look at that red sky and I slide my fingers through my bangs. They’re moist with sweat.  I sigh and feel a lump growing in my throat. And they had just begun to dry too. 


End file.
